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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25336336">how to fist-fight your feminist icon and survive trying</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/falloutboiruto/pseuds/falloutboiruto'>falloutboiruto</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Boruto: Naruto Next Generations</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Comedy, Developing Friendships, Gen, Morally Gray Situations, Slice of Life, free mitsuki 2k20, medic!mitsuki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:16:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,696</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25336336</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/falloutboiruto/pseuds/falloutboiruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sarada has already decided that medical ninjutsu isn't for her, however, Mitsuki is slightly curious about the subject. But after hearing that one lesson will be taught by Tsunade(her number one idol!), she still attends as moral support to her friend. Turns out, things are more complicated than they seem...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>how to fist-fight your feminist icon and survive trying</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>beta read by: my brother, the one that introduced me to naruto all those years ago..... things have truly come full circle now. thank u bro bro</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun was shining, the bees were buzzing, the clouds were fluffy and Sarada was absolutely not about to take another medical ninjutsu training class.</p><p>“I just don’t feel comfortable doing it,” she said. Not being good at something immediately had always been a pet peeve of hers.</p><p>Boruto squinted at her. "I thought you did pretty well last time?" He looked at the information poster again. "Ugh, Granny is teaching. You can count me out.”</p><p>“Maybe you want to go try something new, huh, Mitsuki?” Konohamaru-sensei said. “I think you would have the chakra control for it!”</p><p>Mitsuki was unimpressed. “But if Boruto’s not going—“</p><p>“What did we talk about?” Sensei said calmly yet sternly. “You can do things on your own, remember?”</p><p>Sarada and Boruto exchanged awkward looks and then pretended to stare out into space in the Ninja Academy hall. Sensei had tried several times to get Mitsuki out of his comfort zone before with varying results.</p><p>“You can do it, Mitsuki!” Boruto said, suddenly trying a new strategy. “I believe in you!”</p><p>“Oh. Well, if you say so. I’ll go.” Mitsuki read the poster carefully. “It’s this afternoon. Lady Tsunade is teaching? She’s the fifth Hokage, right?”</p><p>That name rang a bell in Sarada’s head that sent shivers down her spine and shook her to her core. “<em>Tsunade</em>? Mom’s old teacher?” She was suddenly yelling, sprinting up beside Mitsuki to read the poster again, all but pushing him out of the way to get a closer look.</p><p>“You are correct, Mitsuki!” Konohamaru-sensei said. “Why do you have that look on your face, Sarada? Do you<em> also</em> want to attend suddenly?”</p><p>"I've looked up to her for as long as I can remember!" Sarada shouted, spitting words out faster than the speed of light. “She was the first and, so far, only female Hokage in the history of the village!”</p><p>“Figures,” Boruto rolled his eyes. “To think you’d look up to some old mean lady.”</p><p>“She’s not mean! She’s cool! Also, you’re obsessed with Jiraya, so you’re one to talk!”</p><p>“About Jiraya—“ Mitsuki mused. “He was known for his long, white hair. Did you know that it wasn't real? My parent said that Jiraya was actually bald as an egg and that he wore a hair-shaped hat.”</p><p>“<em>That’s not true</em>!”</p><p>“Boruto’s right,” Konohamaru-sensei said with strained patience. “Jiraya was still around when I grew up. I remember him well. It was his real hair.”</p><p>“Oh.” Mitsuki looked down at the floor, thoughtful expression on his face and hand to his chin.</p><p>"Wouldn't a hair-shaped hat just be a wig, anyway?" Sarada asked. She never got a real answer from Mitsuki about that flaw in his parent’s rumor about Jiraya, but they did decide to all go to the Medical Ninjutsu class together, sans Boruto.</p><p>“Tell granny she’s old from me!” was Boruto’s parting phrase, but Sarada was absolutely not going to pass it on. Now it was time to meet her idol!</p><p>-</p><p>The classroom was buzzing with kids talking amongst themselves, but Sarada was instead buzzing with nervous energy. The bottom of her stomach fell out at the sudden clickety-clack sound of high heels coming closer and closer, until, the classroom door opened, and <em>she</em> entered. Tsunade was everything Sarada aspired to be as an adult (only a bit artificially taller) and the ultimate, living proof that women could be Hokage. All the air in Sarada’s lungs seemed to have suddenly gone missing. And then Tsunade looked in her direction, perked up as if she’d taken notice of Sarada, and then—</p><p>“Ah, Sarada! I’ve heard so much about you!” Tsunade, <em>the Tsunade</em>, was standing right in front of her, clear as day. <em>(What?)</em></p><p>“You have?” Sarada gasped, about to explode from happiness. They had met before, of course, but she had no idea that Tsunade??? Spoke about her to other people??? What???</p><p>“Yes! Your mother was my greatest student, after all. So, are you here to study medical ninjutsu?”</p><p>“-Ugh, I have no talent at it, I went along just so I could meet y—“What was she saying? She’d surely blurt out something embarrassing in no-time! If she told Tsunade that she’d come to the lesson just to talk to her, Sarada would come across as a creepy stalker for sure.</p><p>“Sarada is here as my moral support. Along with Konohamaru-sensei,” Mitsuki interjected like a true knight in shining armor, and quickly turned to her and gave her a big, slow blink with both eyes. Was that him winking? “I think medicine sounds interesting.”</p><p>“And you’ll be great at it!” Konohamaru-sensei patted Mitsuki on the back, only trying slightly too hard. “Sarada is more specialized in combat! She did great in the chuunin exams and she uses a lot of your chakra focusing techniques, Lady Tsunade.”</p><p>“Oh? Sakura taught you those?” Tsunade was all ears. Her pretty eyes twinkled, and she was leaning forward as if she couldn’t quite contain her excitement. Sarada could die happy now. “Well, I always thought it was a bit old-fashioned for the previous generation of kunoichi to all become medics, anyway.”</p><p>“Yes! Yes!”  Sarada was suddenly yelling, why was she yelling? “I also know how to use the Sharingan, and I was at the top of my class at shuriken martial arts!” Light-headed, she leaned against a chair, blood rushing to her cheeks (and entire face, ears, neck, etc.).</p><p>“Wow, that’s very impressive,” Tsunade smiled. “Well, I’m thinking that I should start class now, but feel free to observe.” She turned around and went up to the chalkboard.</p><p>With legs like wobbly jelly, Sarada finally sat down in her chair and breathed out heavily. Mitsuki nudged her in the side. “She thinks you’re super cool,” he stage-whispered.</p><p>“Shut up!” she hissed back. But it was true. Tsunade did think that she was cool. She had said so herself. Just now!</p><p>Konohamaru-sensei let out an amused snort. “It’s funny seeing you so star-struck, Sarada.”</p><p>Sarada only responded with a pointed glare because the lesson was just about to start.</p><p>-</p><p>The lesson was just like the one Sarada had attended a while back, other than that Mitsuki was finding success in everything he tried. She wasn't jealous (ok, maybe a little bit), and cheered him on as he healed a dead fish into flapping around on the table. The rest of the class looked on in awe, and even Tsunade seemed impressed. She came up to them to take a closer look and hummed approvingly.</p><p>“See! You’re great at this, Mitsuki!” Konohamaru-sensei cheered, joining in Sarada’s words on encouragement.</p><p>“Mitsuki, you say?” Tsunade’s demeanor shifted from calm, open, and happy to <em>stilted and stiff</em> in a second. Her voice, suddenly stern, <em>uncomfortable, </em>betrayed that it had been the wrong answer.</p><p>Sarada shot a glance back at Konohamaru-sensei in confusion. All she got from him was ‘deer in headlights’. “I should’ve thought of that,” he mumbled, barely audible. <em>Huh?</em></p><p>The fish in front of Mitsuki stopped flopping around as he withdrew his glowy hands. “Was I supposed to say something different?” He directed his question as much to Sarada as he did to Tsunade. Shrugging, Sarada turned her attention to Tsunade again, who formed her trembling hands into fists at her sides, looking away as if Mitsuki’s mere existence offended her.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Sarada. I need to have a word with your sensei,” she barked, snapping her fingers in the air at Konohamaru-sensei like he was a dog. <em>What? </em>The two adults left the classroom, slamming the door shut behind them. The rest of the class swarmed to Sarada and Mitsuki immediately, crowding them.</p><p>“—What just happened?—”</p><p>“—Is class over? Can I leave now?—“</p><p>“—Alright kids, listen up!” the (now, very sweaty and nervous) teaching aide said, desperate to get control over the classroom again. “We’re going to have a quick recess. <em>Eh</em>—Go outside and in 20 minutes Lady Tsunade will be back to teach you again, ok?”</p><p>Sarada and Mitsuki were swept into the tidal wave of kids leaving the classroom in the promise of sweet, sweet outside-time. However, Mitsuki grabbed Sarada just as they were to take a sharp turn in the corridor and hid behind a large trash can. The noises made by their fellow students grew fainter and fainter, and soon it was completely quiet.</p><p>“So, where did Lady Tsunade and Sensei go?” Sarada whispered. The prospect of spying on her long-time idol’s private conversations did seem slightly amoral, but she was too curious to miss out on the opportunity.</p><p>“I think we’re about to find out.”</p><p>The teacher’s aide exited the classroom too, under a lot of (stress-induced?) swearing. After locking up, he went oppositely down the corridor and knocked on the door to the teacher's lounge.</p><p>“Are you there? Lady Tsunade—“</p><p>The door was violently ripped open, and Tsunade’s furious face appeared again, only to give a tongue lashing to the teacher’s aide. The aide apologized, bowed lowly, and ran in the opposite direction again. Just as he passed by their hiding place he muttered something along the lines of <em>“I need a pay raise</em>”.</p><p>“High-stakes. I like it,” Sarada muttered, and her gaze wandered to a nearby hatch to the ventilation shaft. She and Mitsuki exchanged short, serious nods.</p><p>-</p><p>Soon enough, they had both crawled their way to above the teacher's lounge. Through a small crack in the ceiling, Tsunade and sensei’s faces were visible. Tsunade wasn’t as angry as expected, her body language read as more distressed than anything.</p><p>“—Ugh, I don’t know how I could’ve missed the family resemblance. He even has the same creepy stare. The light hair color probably comes from some left-over genetic sample from one of their old cronies, what was his name again, <em>Kabuto</em>?—“</p><p>“Lady Tsunade—“</p><p>“—Why did you bring him here in the first place?”</p><p>“Lady Tsunade, we are talking about a <em>kid.</em> Mitsuki is not Orochimaru, nor will he ever be.”</p><p>The little that could be seen through the darkness of Mitsuki’s eyes shifted slightly, but other than that remained still. Sarada, however, grew furious. Sure, Orochimaru had never seemed like a great person or a parent for that matter, but what did Mitsuki have to do with that? Nothing!</p><p>Tsunade drew a deep sigh. “I’m sure you’re right. I’m just—<em>overwhelmed</em> by bad memories of them.”</p><p>“With all respect, Lady Tsunade, I think you need to explain to Mitsuki why you won't teach him. He struggles a lot with social interaction as it is and I fear that if you just ignore him it'll set him back. He's a great kid, just stuck in the expectations he's gotten from home. Getting him out of his comfort zone is hard, and I still think him becoming a medic is a good path for him. Maybe let him down gently so he doesn’t get too discouraged?”</p><p>“What about you?” Tsunade cocked an eyebrow. ”Why are you, of all people, all dandy with teaching him? Hasn’t Orochimaru caused you enough suffering and heartbreak already?”</p><p>“Because as I keep telling you, Mitsuki is his own person! He comes from what I can tell an absolutely crap-I mean,<em> abysmal</em> home life with terrible adult role models, but he impresses me every day with how much he’s willing to learn!”</p><p>Sarada had been so focused on the conversation below that she was surprised to look up for a moment and find that Mitsuki had silently left their cramped space, most likely to exit the ventilation system entirely. Well, she had heard enough, anyway. Sarada crawled back the same way she had come in, and found Mitsuki outside the ventilation shaft, waiting for her. The corridor was still empty. The distant laughter of kids playing outside could be heard through the building.</p><p>“I think I know what I must do,” Mitsuki told her. His voice nor his face betrayed what that was, however. So, Sarada got a better idea. In the distance there was the sound of the door to the teacher’s lounge sliding open, a quick excuse to go to the bathroom from Konohamaru-sensei was heard, and then there was the distinct noise of Tsunade walking towards them. Alone.</p><p>Perfect.</p><p>"We have matters to discuss," Tsunade said, no-nonsense, as soon as she spotted them.</p><p>“We sure do!“ Sarada said. “Lady Tsunade! I hate to say this, but you refusing to teach Mitsuki is wrong! Just because you don’t like Orochimaru of whatever doesn’t mean you can discriminate against my friend!”</p><p>“—How'd you know that? Ugh, it doesn't matter. You don’t understand the full picture,” Tsunade sighed. “Look, when your Sensei gets back I’ll explain.”</p><p>“We have time,” Mitsuki chirped conversationally, but Sarada stepped out in the middle of the corridor, legs wide apart in a confident stance.</p><p>“Let’s make a deal and duel on it! If I get a punch in, you’ll teach Mitsuki.”</p><p>“Sarada, I think we should hear her out first—“ Mitsuki’s voice wobbled slightly, he reached out a hand to her shoulder but Sarada brushed it off.</p><p>Tsunade looked between the two of them and focused on Mitsuki with a sudden calculating stare. “Did <em>you</em> tell her to do this?” A slight shake of her head. “No, doesn’t seem that wa—“</p><p>But Sarada wasn’t interested in hearing what Tsunade had to say, none of it, and charged at her. Tsunade blocked the first strike, grabbing Sarada’s arm and twisting it behind her back. Sarada wormed her way out and struck again. Tsunade dodged and did so with the next series of blows.</p><p>“Enough!” Tsunade punched the wall behind her with the back of her fist, making the wall crumble.</p><p>A sudden hand on Sarada’s shoulder pulled her away from the collapsing wall. She tried to charge again, but Mitsuki had a vice grip on her and wasn’t letting go. Dust swarmed the collapsed corridor and once it settled, the damage done on the surroundings was eerily visible. Part of the roof had caved in (luckily they were in a one-story part of the building), and so had several walls around them. A lone, seemingly disembodied hand with long, painted fingernails stuck out from the rubble.</p><p>It twitched, and the rubble rumbled surrounded by a new cloud of dust. From the dust cloud suddenly came the clicking sound of high heels, and Tsunade, clothes ruined with dirt but otherwise uninjured, revealed herself.</p><p>“Hey, what’s the big idea?” Konohamaru-sensei’s voice exclaimed from further away in the corridor. He was in a collapsed room that from the looks of it had formerly been a bathroom, sitting on a porcelain ‘throne’. As soon as he realized that they could see him clear as day, with the lack of walls and whatnot, he blushed furiously and quickly covered himself up with his almost read-through edition of <em>the Ninja Newspaper</em>. “Don’t look!”</p><p>“I rest my case,” Tsunade said, not even fazed by the sudden toilet-related shenanigans. “You don’t want to fight me, Sarada.”</p><p>Sarada picked her slack jaw off the ground and looked over her shoulder. Mitsuki shook his head, mouthing a silent “No.”</p><p>Konohamaru-sensei, now decent (pants <em>on</em>), came running and put himself between Tsunade and Sarada, arms stretched out. “I apologize, Lady Tsunade! Please don’t kill us—“</p><p>“—Who do you think I am?” Lady Tsunade scoffed. “I won’t kill you! I’m a medic for crying out loud—”</p><p>While Konohamaru-sensei and Tsunade argued, Sarada felt a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“Are you ok?” Mitsuki asked. He held himself stiffly, shoulders drawn, eyes darting to the side. Perhaps he was asking the wrong person.</p><p>“Of course I’m fine—what about you? <em>You’re</em> the one she’s discriminating against—”</p><p>“Oh, I wouldn’t know if I’m ok or not. I don’t know what okay feels like,” Mitsuki smiled in that cover-up fashion he’d always do in uncomfortable situations when telling uncomfortable truths. He lifted his gaze and looked over at Tsunade. “I’ve figured out what I want to tell her now, at least.”</p><p>Mitsuki walked up to the arguing adults and poked Tsunade in the shoulder. “Lady Tsunade? Can I say something?”</p><p>Tsunade physically recoiled from him, and Konohamaru-sensei put a hand to Mitsuki’s shoulder. “Mitsuki,” Konohamaru-sensei said with his best <em>Teacher</em> voice. “The reason Lady Tsunade is so upset with you isn’t your fault, it’s because—“</p><p>“—Because of my parent?” Mitsuki stated, expression deadpan. “I figured as much. My parent never had anything positive to say about any of their old friends, Lady Tsunade included, and at first, I believed their assessment. But as time has gone on I've started questioning how they treat me. In the process, how they spoke about others became less trustworthy, too. I think my parent had treated <em>you,</em> Lady Tsunade, badly as well. That’s why you can’t stand me, right?”</p><p>“Badly doesn’t even begin to describe it, but yes,” Tsunade seethed through gritted teeth. “Let me guess. You’re going to say it has nothing to do with you—“</p><p>“—As he should!” Konohamaru-sensei interjected. “You are not your parent, Mitsuki—“</p><p>“I know. However, saying that it’s none of my business is not a long-term solution. I still have to live with their actions, whether I want to or not. I respect your choice, Lady Tsunade.”</p><p>A small, quiet moment followed one where all the tension in the room disappeared.</p><p>“Orochimaru still keeps screwing their creations over, huh? Even you. I heard they call you their <em>son</em>, and this is what you have deal with.” The corner of Tsunade’s mouth twitched in a half-smile. "I guess there's no point in me adding anguish onto you. Mitsuki, you do have a talent for medical ninjutsu. I wish you the best of luck in becoming a medic. You’ll be great.”</p><p>Sarada and Konohamaru-sensei exchanged (confused?) smiles.</p><p>“But I won’t teach you. I’m too old,” Tsunade said, and Sarada’s smile plummeted instantly. Tsunade chuckled, pointed her manicured index finger towards her, and winked. “However, I think Sarada knows someone who will do it gladly.”</p><p>At this point, several adult shinobi had come swarming from the parts of the building that hadn’t collapsed. As they fussed over Tsunade and Konohamaru-sensei apologized profusely (shouldn’t it be the other way around?) Sarada sidestepped the adults, took Mitsuki’s hand and squeezed it.</p><p>“Come over for dinner tonight, and we’ll talk through things with my Mom,” she said. “If you train under her, we’ll get to hang out more! We’ll be like siblings!”</p><p>Mitsuki blinked at her, clearly confused. “I don’t think siblings hold hands. I think they either fight or just ignore each other.”</p><p>“They do?”</p><p>“Yes. My brother and I barely talk. And Boruto fights his little sister all the time. He is, however, still strangely over-protective of her.” He barked out a laugh that sounded more like a cough. “I guess you got that part down, at least.”</p><p>Sarada’s face felt like it would split in half from smiling too much. “I did kind of try to fist fight my idol just to defend you, huh?” She scratched the back of her head, awkward and sheepish. Her glasses slipped down her nose, leaving her vision slightly blurry.</p><p>“It’s especially funny when you take your habit of chiding Boruto for his recklessness into account.” Mitsuki gently pushed her glasses up into their correct position again.  “Boop!”</p><p>-</p><p>“Tsunade won’t teach you? Well, honestly, I think you dodged a bullet, Mitsuki!” Boruto leaned backward in his seat on the park bench and gesticulated wildly to drive home the point. “Granny Tsunade is so mean—“</p><p>“She is not mean!” Sarada wailed at the top of her lungs, not caring about the other park-goers that might’ve possibly come there to actually enjoy themselves. “She’s great! Maybe she doesn’t like you because you call her <em>Granny</em> Tsunade—“</p><p>“For once I disagree with you, Boruto,” Mitsuki said from his spot on the grass lawn. He was pulling grass straws out of the earth and ripping them apart like he often did. He had once explained it as ‘calming’. “I thought meeting Lady Tsunade was a learning experience. But I'm looking forward to training with your Mother, Sarada. Medical ninjutsu turned out to be pretty fun once I applied myself.”</p><p>Boruto nodded over-enthusiastically. “I’m glad you think so! I think having interests is, uh,<em> good</em>!” He was so alike Konohamaru-sensei in some ways, honestly. “And now, if someone in Team 7 gets hurt, they won’t die!”</p><p>“That was one of my motivations, yes. But on top of that, it would be great to get some sort of identity outside of what I’ve been assigned by others.”</p><p>Boruto and Sarada exchanged glances and quirked eyebrows. Typical Mitsuki, saying cryptic things. Like always.</p><p>“And Sarada got to meet her idol. That was the biggest reason I agreed.” Mitsuki laughed, not more than a giggle, <em>again</em>. Two bits of laughter in one day? That must’ve been some sort of record. “It was pretty funny seeing you so worked up. You’re usually so serious, but you’re just a fangirl at heart. And you fought her one-to-one. In retrospect, that’s funny too.”</p><p>“What? Sarada, you fought <em>Tsunade</em>? H—How are you still alive?”</p><p>Sarada adjusted her glasses in the most know-it-all fashion she could've ever produced. She had perfected the gesture over the years. "Some things are better-left secret, Boruto.”</p><p>As Boruto nagged and whined to access more juicy details to no avail (and getting uncomfortably close doing so), Sarada raised her gaze skyward. The sunset was a messy yet masterful watercolor of pinks, whites, and oranges.</p><p>Turned out, her idol Tsunade was a real, actual person with quirks and flaws, not a perfect marble statue to fawn at from afar. Now that she thought about it, letting Tsunade retire peacefully and with dignity was the best option. While Mitsuki shouldn’t be haunted from the shadows of his parent’s murky past, it was best to respect the integrity of their elders.</p><p>She turned her attention back to her two friends. Mitsuki had amassed a small hill of grass clippings. Boruto had calmed down and joined her in studying the setting sun. They had a long road ahead of them, but with friends like these—</p><p>Everything would turn out fine. No, better than fine— <em>Great</em>.</p><p>
  <em>The End</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>please leave kudos and comments if you liked this! :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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